Improvement in electro-magnetic locks



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. 0. SMITH.

Magnetic Lock.

Patent ed. Dec. .21, 1869.-

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\ h Magnetic Lock. v

No. 98,114. I Patented Dec. 21, 1869.

NFE[EH5. PNOTO-LITHOGRAF'HER, WASHINGTON, D O.

. J. C. SMITH... V 3 Sheets She t 3.

' Magntic Ldck" V No. 9 .114. Patented Dec. 21; i869.

MPEI'ERS, FNDYO-UTNOGRAPHEL WASHINGTON. D,C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. SMITH, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRO-MAGNETIC LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 98,114, dated December '21, 1869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J oHNO. SMITH, of the city of Brooklyn, and county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented new and Improved Electro-Magnetic Lock and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled. in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to a new and importaut improvement in looks, designed more especially for outside doors of dwellings, public buildings, banks, vaults, and safes, but applicable to locks for all ordinary purposes; and it consists in controlling the movement of the bolt of the look by means of electromagnetism, andin so arranging the parts that the bolt can be thrown back only when a complete circuit is formed or broken, so that this circuit can be formed or broken only when certain numbers, letters, or signs known only to the operator are placed in certain positions, and so that these numbers, letters, or signs may be changed at will, thus making it a combination and permutation lock, controlled by electromagnetism, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying plates of drawing, Figure 1, Plate 1, is a view of the lock with the back plate 011', showing the parts of which it is composed in their proper positions, the bolt being shown as when locked and as unlocked, the former in red color, the latter in black. Fig. 2, Plate 2, is a view of the same, but showing the bolt locked or thrown, with the fastening-lever engaged with the bolt, as when the electric current is broken. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of Fig. 2 through the line as :0, showing the method of operating on the permutation-dials, and forming the circuit. Fig. 4, Plate 3, is a view of the outside of the lock, showing the outside permutation-dials, which correspond in their letters, figures, or signs, and in position, with the interior dials, and moving uniformly therewith. Fig. 5 shows a detail of the back side of one of the dial-plates and the method of connecting the two so that they shall move simultaneously. Fig. 6 is a detailed view of-one of the interior circuitwheels with which the dial-plates are connected, placed on the arbor'of the outside dial-plate, and clamped by a screw, and moving simultaneously therewith. Fig. 7 is an edge view of Fig. 6, showing the connectingplates, and also the blind or false plates in the circuit-wheels.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresp ondin g parts.

A represents the stock or case of the lock.

B is the bolt. O is an electro-magnet. Dis the fastening-lever. confined on its. fulcrumpin 0, and weighted at its' short end, so that that end always preponderates, except when it is acted upon by the magnet-armature. F is the key, which operates upon the bolt in the ordinary manner g 9 being studs to limit its movement in either direction. it is a plate, which is pivoted to the bolt, the edge of which is pressed downward on the key by the spring 6, the object being to produce sufficient friction to keep the key steady and in place. j is a slot through the back of the bolt, which works on a stud, It, in the case, which keeps the bolt in position. L is the armature, forming a lever, hung on the fulcrum-stud m, the back or left-hand end of which acts directly on the fastening-lever D, raising its weighted end and disengaging its other end from thelbolt whenever a circuit is completed.

7 As seen in Fig. 2, the bolt is thrown, and the lug n on the end of the lever D is engaged with the bolt atthe shoulder O, which prevents the back movement of the bolt. Thekey has now no control whatever over this lever D, and cannot by any means detach it from the bolt. The preponderating weight of the short end of the lever D causes it to assume this position whenever the bolt isthrown forward in looking, as seen in the drawing.

No means are provided for disengaging the lever from the boltother than electricity acting through the magnet on the armature, and thus raising the weighted end of the lever and depressing the other end, as before stated. This is done by forminga complete circuit, and the means for doing this are provided in the upper portion of the lock, in. connection wit-h the circuit-wheels.

P 1? represent the circuit-wheels, which are made of wood or some other good non-conducting material, each of which is provided with a perfect connection-plate, (marked q, seen in Fig. 7,) and also with a series of false plates, (marked 0",) which is inoperative and mere blinds. S S represent the dialplates, each of which has its duplicate on the outside of the lock.

Two dial-plates and one of the circuit-wheels act in combination. The arbor of the outside dial-plate passes through the circuit-wheel, the

latter pressing against a shoulder 011 the same, with nicks in its end, as seen at t, Fig. 6,10 being the end of the arbor.

The inside of the inner dial-plate has projections or lugs 21, (see Fig. 5,) which fit into the nicks t, and this inside plate is secured to the arbor of the outside plate and on the side of the circuit-wheel by a screw, 10, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be seen that the dial-plates must turn together, and that they may be turned independently of the circuit-wheel by slightly loosening the screw w. This is done only when a change is made in the combination of figures, numbers, letters, or signs on which a complete electrical circuit is formed.

As seen in the drawing, a circuit is formed on the number50; and it will also be seen that that number, on both inside and outside dial-plates, is directly under the connecting-plate q in the circuit-wheel. On the outside plates the exact position of these connecting-plates, when the circuit is complete, is always indicated by the index-1i nes y 3 on the stationary casings zz.

On the inside the triangles x 00 indicate the position of the true connection.

When a change is made in the combination on which a circuit is formed, the circuit-wheels and dial-plates are exposed to view, and the desired change is made by the removal of a sub-plate on the back plate of the lock.

(1/ is a wire, which is attached to the stud b in the lock, and conveys the current of electricity from a galvanic battery to the lock, the lock itself forming part of the circuit. a is the'wire which conveys the current from the battery directly to the magnet O, and is insulated where it passes through the case. From the magnet the current is conveyed by the wire d to the insulated stud e and platef. The edge of this plate f is pressed onto the periphery of the right-hand circuit-wheel by the rubber spring 9. From the plate f the current is conveyed, by means of the connecting-plate q, the surface of which is flush with the periphery of the circuit-wheel, to the insulated plate h, which is also pressed to the surface of the circuit-wheels by the rubber springs g g, and from thence, by means of the other connecting-plate, g, on the other plate, f, and thence through another stud-pin, e, at the left hand of the drawing, to the case of the lock. Now, as the circuit-wheels and the dials are turned a circuit will be completed only when the connecting-plates q q are in actual contact with the plates f f.

As before stated, a current is formed on the numbers 50 on each dial; but it may be formed by bringing any other numbers, figures, letters, marks, or signs directly beneath the con nectingplate q g. This, as before stated, is done by altering the position of one or both dials on the circuit-wheels P P.

Before the bolt-can be thrown back, as seen in the drawing, the connecting-plates qq must be brought in contact with the plates ff. This completes the circuit. The magnet acts upon the armature L, and the efi'ect of which is to detach the lug a from the notch 0 in the bolt. The key may now be brought to act, and the bolt may be thrown back a certain distance thereby, but not so .far as to unlock the door. The armature is still acting upon the fastening-lever D. As the lug a on its long end is detached from the bolt, the plate J, which is attached to its weighted end, is thrown up and in the way of the back end of the bolt, thus leaving the bolt still thrown and the door locked. This difficulty is overcome by simply breaking the circuit and allowing the weighted end of the lever D to drop with the plate J. This partial throwing of the bolt at first is for the purpose of compelling the operator to break the circuit, and not expose the combination upon which the circuit is formed.

m is a plumb-rod suspended from the end of the lever D, which readily drops into the socket a when the lock stands plumb and in proper position. Should the lock be tampered with and thrown out of plumb, the end of the rod will enter the groove 0 around the central socket-hole, and thereby securely hold the lever D in position with the bolt thrown, as seen.

In this example of my invention I show but two circuit-wheels with their duplicated dials; but the numbers on the latter allow of ten thousand changes or combinations. These circuit-wheels and dial-plates may, of course, be increased in number, so as to increase the number of changes or combinations indefinitely.

In the application of electro-magnetism to locks I do not confine myself exclusively to permutation or combination looks, as locks of the most simple construction may be controlled thereby. Nor do I confine myself to any particular method of applying it to the bolt, my object being to so apply electro-magnetism that the bolt of the lock, either in unlocking or looking, may be influenced or controlled by completing a circuit and breaking it, as above described, or by completing it alone or breaking it alone.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the electro-magnet G and the bolt B, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of an electro magnet with a permutation-lock, whereby the bolt of the lock may be thrown in either direction by means of forming or breaking a circuit on certain combinations of figures, letters, numbers,

or signs, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a permutation-lock 5. The method of communicating the elect-he circuit-Wheels P and the dial-Wheels S, artrio current to the circuit-wheels, and thereby ranged, combined,and operating substantially completing the circuit, substantially as and.

as and for the purposes described. for the purposes described. 4. The weighted lever D, the plate J and JOHN 0. SMITH.

the armature L, in combination with the bolt Witnesses:

B, arranged and operating substantially as FRANK BLocK'LEY,

and for the purposes set forth. ALEX. F. ROBERTS.

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